posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
They’re Saiyan that Goku’s gonna appear at this year’s parade
A staple of the holidays season in the United States, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade treats viewers with several high-profile acts and oversized balloons. In the past quarter century, anime and game characters such as Pikachu, Sonic, One Piece‘s Luffy and Dragon Ball‘s Goku have graced the parade route.
Toei Animation announced on Wednesday that Goku is getting a new balloon for the parade’s 98th incarnation on November 28. The hero of the late Akira Toriyama‘s classic Dragon Ball manga has been flying in the New York parade since 2018, powered up in his Super Saiyan Blue transformation. But this year, he will appear in his “iconic Saiyan form.”
©Bird Studio/Shueisha, Toei Animation
Judging by the float, “iconic Saiyan form” appears to refer to his base adult form from the beginning of the Dragon Ball Z anime, when he first learned that he was actually part of the alien Saiyan race.
Toei Animation stated on X (formerly Twitter): “Catch the mighty warrior soar the skies and over the streets of New York City on November 28th!”
Dragon Ball’s Goku is back and now in his iconic Saiyan form – debuting at the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year! Catch the mighty warrior soar the skies and over the streets of New York City on November 28th! 🐉🎈 #MacysParade #ThanksGoku #DragonBall @macys pic.twitter.com/pglrkWUTDH
— Toei Animation (@ToeiAnimation) October 8, 2024
Masayuki Endo, President and CEO of Toei Animation, said in a press release:
We’re thrilled to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball with the debut of a brand-new Goku giant character balloon at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. During those 40 years, the Dragon Ball franchise has grown to achieve worldwide success—earning mainstream pop culture status and garnering a multi-generational fan base. We’re excited to present Dragon Ball and this iconic version of Goku to those watching this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—to both the tens of millions of people new to anime and the tens of millions of Dragon Ball fans alike!
The 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on November 28 in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Sources: Email correspondence, Toei Animation‘s X/Twitter account
